Rural Health Fellowship

Kootenai Rural Health Fellowship will help foster high-quality and competent rural Family Medicine physicians with advanced procedural skills and leadership qualities able to develop high functioning rural health systems of the future.

For more information please email [email protected] or call 208-625-4255

GOALS

1. Increase the number of family medicine physicians working in rural practice in Idaho
2. Train family medicine physicians competent in advanced scope rural family medicine practice
3. Training in advanced procedural skills and increase access to procedures in rural communities
4. Develop rural family physicians that understand the importance of community health and connections to the community
5. Enhance support and connections between rural critical access hospitals and Kootenai Health
6. Create the next generation of leaders in rural health care

ELEMENTS TO ACHIEVE GOALS

Training in the rural practice environment

Working in a rural setting often presents different challenges to providing healthcare including limited resources, limited access to specialty care, variable transportation options, and physical distance between patient and clinic sites.  Integrating these challenges on top of the standard work of being a family physician can be daunting.  During the rural fellowship, the resident will spend six months of fellowship year at the rural critical access hospital in Orofino, Idaho.  This will allow hands on training with family physicians in broad spectrum rural practice.  

Advanced procedural and specialty care training

Most of the rural critical access sites in Idaho require family physicians to be comfortable practicing in clinic, emergency, inpatient, and critical care settings, and have comfort with advanced procedures.  During the six months the rural fellow will be located in Coeur d’Alene, continuity clinic time will be intermixed with both required and elective opportunities in such areas as emergency medicine with trauma care, critical care, inpatient medicine, medical subspecialties, radiology, low risk obstetrics, and urgent care.

Connections between fellow and Idaho rural community

Research demonstrates physicians are more likely to choose rural practice and remain practicing in a rural setting if they develop connections to the community.  To promote greater connection to rural communities throughout the fellowship there will be suggested non-medical activities for the fellow to participate in when working outside of Coeur d’Alene. Such as public health, and community and local government engagement. There will also be required completion of a community medicine or quality improvement project.

Engagement in rural healthcare leadership

Rural healthcare infrastructure remains fragile across the United States as rural communities face challenges in funding, leadership, and quality of care. Critical access hospital systems that thrive have engaged passionate leadership.  To demonstrate how healthcare systems function, the fellow will engage in leadership activities.

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This fellowship does not lead to additional board certification or a Certificate of Added Qualification. It does provide needed training and experience for family physicians who plan to care for a rural population with limited access to health care services.  Low risk non-surgical obstetrics may be continued through Rural Health Fellowship but is not required and surgical obstetric training is not a part of this fellowship. 

APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS

1. Graduate or Senior Resident with plans to graduate prior to start of Rural Health Fellowship in good standing from a GME certified Family Medicine Residency
2. Board certified or board eligible in Family Medicine with plans to complete ABFM certification during fellowship year
3. Currently or planning to be licensed in the State of Idaho

Please email [email protected] for instructions regarding application to Kootenai Rural Health Fellowship.  We begin reviewing our applications starting as early as July.  Applications will not be accepted after Nov. 1^st.   Interviews will be offered and required for selection.  We will offer positions to the best candidates on a “first-come-first serve” basis and no later than Dec. 20th.

Application will need to include:

Letter to Program Director and Fellowship Directors requesting consideration for Rural Advanced Health Fellowship and answering the following 4 questions:

1. Where do you see yourself practicing after residency?
2. How will a Rural Health fellowship help you provide more complete care in a rural community in the future?
3. What specific goals do hope to accomplish with this fellowship?
4. How do you see yourself adapting and leveraging the different training locations included in this fellowship (Orofino, Idaho and Coeur d’Alene, Idaho)?

Curriculum vitae

Additional documents as needed to outline prior educational, work, advocacy and other experiences related to rural medicine

One letter of recommendation from Program Director of current Family Medicine Residency program

One letter of recommendation from Family Physician who has worked with you at length and can speak to strengths and goals

Additional letters of recommendations welcome but not required

Crystal L. Pyrak MD
Rural Health Fellowship Director -CDA

Kelly J. McGrath MD
Rural Health Fellowship Director- Orofino

Brooke Potratz, M.D.
Rural Health Fellow

Eliessa Bell M.D.
Rural Health Fellow